


Again [The Witching Hour AU]

by chemically_imbalanced_romance



Series: The Witching Hour [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Blood, F slur, Gen, Homophobia, Infidelity, Knives, death/murder/hate crime, he's a ghost though so he's not like gone forever, mention of sex as a deal, slut insult, whore insult
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-06-23 18:16:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19706839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chemically_imbalanced_romance/pseuds/chemically_imbalanced_romance
Summary: How Riley died





	Again [The Witching Hour AU]

**Author's Note:**

> Probably the darkest thing I’ve ever written. For the record, there is a happy ending. Definitely not in this fic, but in the au itself.

Riley woke to the shower in the next room. Their body still ached, their skin still crawled, and they reeked of sex. They closed their eyes, drew in a breath, and forced all those feelings out. They didn’t matter. They weren’t even there. 

They reached over and checked their phone;  _ 9/17/2014.  _

“The seventeenth,” Riley mumbled. Something felt off. They didn’t remember. 

They were getting dressed when their director got out of the shower, coming into the room with only a towel around his waist. Riley kept their gaze firmly on their yellow sneakers. 

“You should be going soon,” Marley said. “My wife will be home any minute.” 

Riley pulled themselves together enough to finish the job. They stood up and pressed their body to Marley’s, draping their arms over his shoulders. “So did I get the part?”

Marley grinned. His breath smelled of vodka.  _ Drinking early, I see.  _ “I think you can be confident in your role as the lead.” 

Riley pulled away before he could kiss them. They got the date and time for the first rehearsal, and left. 

They were only back on campus for a few minutes before they were stopped. Jace grabbed their arm. 

“Same clothes as yesterday, huh?” He raised his eyebrows. 

Riley shrugged him off. “I was up late.” 

“I bet.” He grinned. “You looking forward to callbacks?” 

Riley paused, looking him over apathetically. Jace was white, and scrawny, but still bigger than Riley, and several years older. Riley met his eyes. “No. I already know what’s going to happen.” 

Jace’s eyes flickered with confusion, and then sparked with anger. “What did you do?” He demanded. 

Riley walked away. 

They didn’t notice the security guard until she asked Riley if they were okay, and wanted an escort home. That must have been why Jace didn’t attack them. Any other day, he’d have lost his mind. 

Jace kept to himself. He got a major role still, although it was clear he wasn’t happy. He barely bothered to learn his lines and only showed up to rehearsal sometimes. Everyone was confused- Jace was a good actor, a dedicated actor. He had been happy with less stage time before. 

He didn’t usually threaten Riley, but the first dress rehearsal, when Riley came out in their costume and all their makeup as the Dragon Witch, they felt death in Jace’s stare. It could have brought them to tears, but instead, they let it stroke their ego. They performed better than ever that rehearsal. 

There was a scene where Jace’s character had to bow down to the Dragon Witch, and there, with Jace humiliated and on his knees, Riley thought they won. 

They stayed long past sundown that night, practicing their blocking and lines while still in their costume and makeup. They thought they were alone the whole time, until they noticed the door was open. Confused, they set their script down and went to shut it, only to be shoved outside. 

The cold, damp air stuck to their skin as the door slammed shut behind them. They jiggled the handle, but it was locked. 

Riley grit their teeth. They couldn’t go home in their costume, they would be kicked off the cast. 

Which was exactly what Jace wanted. 

Hopefully, Jace didn’t knowthe back door was always unlocked. Riley walked out to the side of the building, and peered down the alley; it was almost pitch black, filled with puddles from the rain. A chill went through them. 

Their boots clacked against the asphalt as they walked. They made it halfway before they were shoved against the brick wall, crying out, cold metal pressed to the back of their neck. 

“Don’t move,” Jace said, “and don’t be too loud, or I’ll kill you.” 

Riley squeezed their eyes shut as they filled with tears. “Okay.” 

“What did you do to get the part?” 

“Nothing,” Riley insisted. 

Jace grabbed them by the shoulders and pulled them back, only to slam them against the wall again. A sobbed ripped through them as Jace pressed their head against the wall. 

“Tell me what you did.  _ Admit it _ .” 

Riley’s body shook with sobs. They didn’t care about the part anymore, they just wanted to go home. 

“I slept with Marley.” 

“I knew it,” he whispered. His grip on the knife tightened. “I knew you were a slut. I knew you weren’t good enough to get the part yourself, you had to whore yourself out for it, didn’t you? But then again, fags get whatever they want.” 

“I’m sorry. I’ll step down, I’ll let you have the part.” 

“I know you will,” he snapped. He gripped Riley’s hair, pulling their head back to show off their neck. Riley’s fear was so intense, they couldn’t think or see or move. “Is this what you wanted?” 

“Jace, please-” 

“SHUT UP!” Jace ripped his knife across Riley’s skin, straight across their throat. 

He stepped back, letting Riley fall to the ground. Riley laid there, choking on his own blood and tears, trying to crawl away, and for a moment, Jace just watched. 

Riley died as Jace ran away. 

Riley woke to the shower in the next room. Their body still ached, their skin still crawled, and they reeked of sex. Their throat hurt- They’d kill for a glass of water. 

They reached over and checked their phone. It read  _ 5/5/2019.  _ “The seventeenth,” they mumbled. Something was important about that date, but they couldn’t remember what. 

Marley came in as Riley was getting dressed. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair overgrown. “Please,” he said, his voice cracking, “please leave me alone.” 

They stood up and pressed their body to Marley’s, draping their arms over his shoulders. “So did I get the part?” His breath smelled of vodka. 

Marley’s knees buckled, and he put his hands over his head. “I’m sorry,” he sobbed, “I’m so sorry, please stop punishing me.” 

Riley left, grinning. They had no idea they’d gone through this day a million times already, and they had no idea they’d go through it again, and again, and again. 


End file.
